Matar Dal and White Peas (Safed Matar): Soaking, Ragda, Chaat (Video)

Transcript

Matar Dal Overview

Ever wondered why your chana dal sometimes turns mushy? Let’s clear up the mystery of matar dal and white peas.

Matar Dal Basics

If you’ve ever seen a pea-smelling mush after a quick boil, you were probably using matar dal. It’s just dried garden peas, either split or kept whole as safed matar. The beans are inexpensive, hearty, and work great once you know the right prep. Soak the white peas for six to eight hours, then give them four to five whistles in a pressure cooker, and they’re ready for ragda, chaat or pani puri.

What’s Matar vs Safed

Matar dal and safed matar are really the same pea, just processed differently. The garden pea is left on the plant until the pods dry and the seeds harden. The miller may skin and split the seed, giving you matar dal, or leave it whole for safed matar. Fresh green peas are a different story, but here we stick to the dried varieties.

Pea Split Fact

Did you know? Every daal splits along the same natural seam: once the skin is off, a seed falls apart into its two halves.

Tell Matar from Chana

Matar dal is usually cheaper than chana dal, and sometimes the two get mixed. If a batch cooks in half the time and ends up mushy, it’s likely matar. The split halves of matar are neat and round, a flatter chalky yellow, and they smell distinctly of peas. When cooked they fall apart into a thick puree, whereas chana dal stays firmer, smells nutty, and keeps its grains.

Soak Time

White peas need a good soak, six to eight hours, or just overnight, in three to four times their volume of water, because they swell to about double their size. In hot weather, change the water once or move the bowl to the fridge after eight hours so the peas don’t turn sour. If you forget to soak, a quick two-minute boil, then a covered hour, can rescue them, but cooking dry peas straight away takes a long time and gives uneven results.

Cooking for Dishes

For one cup of soaked safed matar, use three cups of water, half a teaspoon each of turmeric and salt in a pressure cooker. The timing changes with the dish. For pani puri or chaat, you want the peas whole but soft, three medium whistles, then a natural release. For ragda you aim for half-mashed peas, four to five whistles, or one high whistle followed by fifteen minutes on low. You can also simmer gently for an hour or more, topping up with hot water as needed. A quick finger test works: press a pea between your fingers; it should squash without a gritty centre. If it’s still firm, give another whistle rather than guessing an extra hour.

Plain Matar Dal

If you prefer a simple dal, soak one cup of split matar dal for just one to two hours, then cook it with three cups of water, half a teaspoon of turmeric, and three to four whistles. You can also simmer it in an open pot for forty to fifty minutes. The result is a thick, slightly sweet puree. Finish with a tempering of cumin, garlic and red chilli, or stir in diced pumpkin or potatoes as Bengali homes do. Add salt at the end for the best flavor.

Check for Dyed Peas

Some traders dye dried green peas back to a bright shade, using dyes not meant for food. A simple soak can give you a hint. Put two tablespoons of the peas in a clear glass with a cup of plain water, stir once, and leave for thirty minutes. Hold the glass against a white surface. If the water turns a vivid green, don’t taste or cook them, return the pack. A lab test is the only way to be certain, but this visual check helps you avoid obvious cases.

Mendel Pea Genetics

Did you know? Gregor Mendel worked out the basic rules of how traits pass from parent to child by growing thousands of pea plants.

When to Be Cautious

If you have kidney disease, pulses add potassium, phosphorus and protein, so let your doctor or renal dietitian set your amount. With gout or high uric acid, ask your doctor how much dal suits you. For babies and toddlers, whole firm peas are a choking risk; offer them well cooked and mashed, with no salt for children under one year. Anyone who’s reacted to peas or other legumes should avoid them and consult a doctor. And remember, cooked peas left out for more than two hours, especially in chaat, should be discarded.

Thanks for Watching

If you liked this, read the full post on thecareonline.com, and remember it’s not medical advice.